"It's real," Joel says immediately. "Alexis, I love her. This isn't a fling."
"And I love him," I add, tears already streaming down my face. "I know this is strange for you, but I promise…"
"I have conditions," Alexis interrupts. "If we're doing this, there are rules."
"Okay," I say quickly, willing to agree to anything. "Anything."
"No PDA in front of me. Not for a while. I need time to adjust to seeing you two as a couple."
"Done," Joel agrees immediately.
"And Nina, you have to promise me this doesn't change our friendship. You're still my best friend first. I still get to call you at two AM when I'm spiraling about my career. I still get to text you stupid memes. This doesn't changeUS."
"Never," I say, practically choking on the words. "Lex, you're the most important person in my life. That doesn't change just because I'm dating your dad."
"Dating my dad," Alexis repeats, shaking her head and visibly shivering, being more than a little over dramatic in her usual way. "That's going to take some getting used to." She looks at Joel. "And Dad, you have to promise me you're serious about this. Because if you hurt her, I will make your life hell."
"I'm not going to hurt her," Joel says firmly. "I'm in love with her, Alexis. I want a future with her."
"A future," Alexis echoes. "Okay. Okay. This is happening. My dad and my best friend are together." She laughs, and it sounds only slightly hysterical. "My therapist is going to have a field day with this for years."
I let out a sound that's half-laugh, half-sob. "Does this mean we’re okay? You and me?"
Alexis looks at me for a long moment, then stands up and opens her arms. I practically launch myself across the room, and we hug like we're trying to squeeze the life out of each other.
"We're okay," Alexis says into my hair. "We're always going to be okay. Even if you have terrible taste in men who happen to be related to me."
I laugh through my tears. "He's not terrible."
"Jury's still out." But she's smiling when she pulls back. "Also, just so you know—I'm not gonna call you Mom."
I burst out laughing, and Joel makes a choking sound behind us.
"Oh my God, Alexis!"
"I had to say it." She grins. "Had to break the tension somehow."
Joel stands up and pulls Alexis into a hug. "Thank you," he says quietly. "For being so understanding about this."
"Yeah, well." Alexis hugs him back. "You're both important to me. I want you to be happy." She steps back, looking between us. "Okay. I'm going to go order takeout and pretend I don't know that you two were probably having sex on every surface of this house while I was stuck in LA."
"Alexis!" My face goes bright red.
"Am I wrong?"
The silence is damning.
"Oh my God." Alexis covers her ears. "I don't want to know. I'm ordering Thai food and we're going to eat dinner and talk about literally anything else. Agreed?"
"Agreed," Joel and I say in unison.
Dinner is awkward at first, with all of us trying too hard to act normal. But gradually, it gets easier. Alexis tells stories about the production disaster that kept her in LA. Nina talks about her plans to find a new job. I just listen to them banter back and forth, the way they always have, and feel grateful that we didn't lose this.
Around ten, Alexis yawns. "Okay, I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed." She stands, then points at both of us. "Remember: no PDA. I see nothing, I know nothing."
"Got it," Nina says.
After Alexis goes upstairs, Nina collapses against me on the couch. "That was—"
